If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it more than once — 🙂 — this season of Outlander is working for me on many levels. Each time I think I’m going to see one thing, the writers deliver something with more nuance, more emotions, more showing the viewer as many sides as possible of every issue facing the Frasers.

Sam Heughan as Jamie and Caitriona Balfe as Claire on Outlander. (Photo: Starz)

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

Summary provided by Starz: Claire’s medical expertise proves invaluable for a family of German settlers, but she begins to fear for her life when tragedy strikes her patients’ household. Jamie and Young Ian travel to a nearby town to recruit settlers for Fraser’s Ridge but find their progress hindered by a burgeoning political movement.

The opening montage is a gentleman gift-wrapping a doll, while a female hand puts coins on a table.

The episode begins outside in a garden of sorts with Claire and the healer from the Cherokee tribe. The woman is sharing her wisdom and herbs and teas for nausea during pregnancy and other items. There are subtitles, which allow viewers to know what the Cherokee healer is saying to Claire. The healer asks Claire if she has a child; Claire says yes. The healer then adds, She is here.

At Fraser’s Ridge, we see a pig in a stall playing with a three-cornered hat. Then we are inside the house with Claire and Jamie.

“Where’s my hat?”

“I don’t know. Where did you last see it?”

“If I knew that, I’d be wearing it.”

(LOLLOLLOL!!!)

This exchange is SO funny I had to share.

Young Ian and Jamie are gathering their things for a trip to town. And oh, by the way, the house is finished, furnished and well-stocked.

As Jamie helps Claire slip on her coat, he asks if Brianna had a birthmark behind her ear. Claire is surprised and touched. She hasn’t thought about the birthmark in a long while. It warms both of their hearts to share this moment in memory of Brianna, who is in the future 200 years away.

Inverness 1971: You’ll recall that in last week’s episode, Roger learned that Brianna had been in Scotland for two weeks — but hadn’t contacted him. The cryptic message from her roommate — Brianna is in Scotland visiting her mother — meant only one thing to me! 🙂

So, Roger is looking for Brianna, or more likely, seeking to prove what he already suspects: Brianna has gone through the Stones, back in time, to be with her mother.

He visits an inn, where the manager confirms that a young American girl was there, but she left and didn’t leave any information about where she was going. A demoralized Roger sulks away, his disappointment palatable.

We viewers (or at least me 🙂 ) are as disappointed as Roger. I want to know NOW if Brianna went through the Stones or not! After a few agonizing moments, the inn manager calls out to Roger (who has walked halfway down the road). He looks so sad, she says. She can’t help but go against her promise to the American girl. She was supposed to hang on to the letter (which she holds in her hand) for a year. It’s addressed to Roger Wakefield.

John Bell as Young Ian and Sam Heughan as Jamie on Outlander. (Photo: Starz)

Jamie and Young Ian are in town, seeking to do something with the silver candelabra Jocasta gave him that belonged to his mother. It seems he’s looking to find a gift for Claire.

Jamie’s other purpose in town is to recruit tenants. Remember, he has 10,000 acres from the British governor. To pay the taxes, he’ll need tenants. He meets with some of the townspeople, mostly Scots, but they aren’t interested.

At Fraser’s Ridge, Claire has delivered the child of a neighbor but soon finds herself in a standoff between the German settler and the “savages” he believes are stealing water from his stream. The actor portraying Herr Mueller gives an excellent performance showing (no telling) how superstition, prejudice, ignorance and intolerance can merge into irrational fear. The situation turns dangerous. Claire must talk down both Herr Mueller and the Cherokee Indians. A dramatically tense scene — but all ends well for now.

Next, there is a montage of Claire’s day-to-day routine. Feeding horses, feeding pigs, enjoying a dram of whisky (which from her expression is not the best batch she’s ever tasted). She also notices the missing candelabra.

In town, Jamie and Young Ian are packing up, ready to head back home. They have no tenants. But Jamie, ever hopeful, won’t give up. He’ll make sure his tenants pay a fair tax and will return soon to make sure the farmers in town know this.

Bad luck comes in the form of a broken horse’s bit. Jamie sends Young Ian to find a blacksmith — and you’ll never guess who? It’s Murtagh! We recognize him, but of course, Young Ian has never met Murtagh.

Murtagh demands 21 shillings for his labor. When Young Ian tells Jamie, he is livid. He storms to the blacksmith, whose back is to Jamie when he yells at him for charging such an unfair amount.

When Murtagh turns, the two Scotsmen are reunited. (Such a great moment! Murtagh is BACK!)

Tears fill their eyes, but Jamie hasn’t told Murtagh about Claire.

OK, let’s cut to Claire. Someone is banging at her door, a minister. He comes with bad news: Herr Mueller’s daughter and baby, which Claire delivered the week before, are dead from measles. The warning is that Herr Mueller blames Claire and the Cherokee (whom he believes cursed his land and family) for their deaths. He’s on the hunt for revenge. Claire’s life is in danger.

In the town, Jamie, Young Ian and Murtaugh are at the pub, throwing back a few pints. Jamie sends Young Ian to grab some more brew, and now Jamie is alone with Murtagh and tells him about Claire’s return and his daughter, Brianna, in 1968.

Murtagh is thrilled for Jamie, who urges him to come to Fraser’s Ridge and settle on his land. Murtaugh is hesitating. But there is something else on his mind. He invites Jamie to join him at a meeting.

At Fraser’s Ridge, Claire is sitting in the living room with a rifle on her lap. Any sound may announce the arrival of Herr Mueller. It’s clear she is ready for him.

Urs Echn as Herr Mueller on Outlander. (Photo: Starz)

Meanwhile, Jamie and Young Ian attend Murtagh’s meeting. It turns out he is a regulator (against the Brits and their taxes on farmers).

Murtagh refuses Jamie’s offer to return to Fraser’s Ridge. He has work to do in town.

At Fraser’s Ridge, Claire is awakened by a knock on the door. It’s Herr Mueller. He believes the Cherokee cursed his family. He claims to be worried about Claire and lets her know it is over now. He’s taken care of things. He hands Claire a parcel, wrapped in the same paper as a gift he’d given to his daughter after the birth of her child.

Claire opens the parcel and inside finds the scalp of the healer, the Cherokee woman who shared her herbs, teas and wisdom. Distraught, filled with sorrow but also anger, Claire asks Herr Mueller to leave. He does.

Claire then places the doll and the healer’s scalp in a wooden box and burns it in the fireplace.

In the next scene, there are fire-tipped arrows shot into the roof of a cabin. We can’t tell right away if it’s Jamie and Claire’s home. Then a woman with an arrow in her back stumbles out of the cabin. Herr Mueller rushes to his wife, and as he kneels next to her body, arrows fall from the sky and into his back.

Jamie returns to Fraser’s Ridge, and an exhausted Claire rushes to greet him. She collapses into his arms: She’s had a rough few days.

Sam Heughan as Jamie and Caitriona Balfe as Claire on Outlander. (Photo: Starz)

The next morning, Claire is on the front porch of her cabin and sees a figure in the distance. In seconds, she is rushing into the arms of Murtagh.

Now, remember, in 1968, Roger has been given a letter from Brianna he was not supposed to read for a year.

When we return to 1971, we are at the Stones, a few weeks before Roger made that telephone call. In the voiceover, Brianna is reading the letter she wrote to Roger. She tells him not to come after her. We see her dressed in 1760s attire, pressing her hand to the Stones one second and gone the next.

Wow! That’s the end of episode five.

If this season doesn’t have you sitting on the edge of your seat each and every week, I am shaking my head! 🙂

Can’t wait until next week and Blood of My Blood.

Until then.

Denny S. Bryce is a three-time RWA Golden Heart finalist who won the 2014 Golden Heart in the romantic suspense category. She also writes historical fiction and paranormal romance/urban fantasy. Her website is www.dennysbryce.com. You can also connect with her on Twitter (@DennySBryce) or Facebook.